Georgia Department of Agriculture plans Pesticide Collection Day

A pesticide collection event has been scheduled for Wednesday, June 29, at the Southern Pines Ag and Expo in Dublin, Georgia. The event will be held from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Known as “Georgia Clean Day,” the free event is organized by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and is open to private and commercial pesticide applicators. The event is designed to provide farmers as well as lawn care, golf course and pest control companies and state agencies an opportunity to dispose of old, unusable or cancelled pesticides safely with a hazardous waste contractor.

State and federal law makes it illegal to burn, bury or dump pesticides in conventional landfills. If not disposed of properly, pesticides can pose hazards to health and the environment. In 1995, the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDOA) sponsored the first Georgia Clean Day to collect cancelled pesticides, such as DDT.

To dispose of pesticides at the event, the GDOA requires preregistration. For more information, contact the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office in Laurens County at (478) 272-2277, event coordinator Rick Hayes at (404) 656-4958, ext. 4113, or go to agr.georgia.gov/georgia-clean-day.aspx.

Sharon Dowdy is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.